Would You Donate For Me?
by x-MewHazzard-x
Summary: Jason's been messing with a certain mad vampire in town and causing him to go without his blood supply for a little while. What can Claire do to help? Mainly fluffly bits and humour between ClairexMyrnin
1. Chapter 1

**Hey!**

**This is just gonna be a short three/four chapter story. I am a fan of Claire/Myrnin but I'm also a fan of Shane's so...yeeeeeah, you see my problem here :)**

**Anyway, there are hints and some things that are just bluntly stated about the close relationship between Claire and Myrnin and that is why it's in the Romance category but I had a go at humour this time as well and I'm hoping its not a complete flop - of course, you guys can decide on that and let me know ;)**

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***~ Would You Donate For Me? ~***

***~ Chapter 1 ~***

Claire walked in to the messy lab, dumped her bag on to one of the lab benches and heavily sighed as she sat down on one of the stalls. She dug out a book on alchemy and began reading but after a moment she realised that something wasn't right...someone wasn't present.

Looking around Claire called out uncertainly, "Myrnin?"

After a few silent moments a voice - closer than she expected - made her jump and turn around, "Claire."

She let out a shaky breath and rolled her eyes, scolding him, "Please! Don't do that! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Claire!" Myrnin snapped but it wasn't his usual manner of speaking. He sounded strained, pained.

"Myrnin? Are you okay?" Claire asked, narrowing her eyes as if to try and see something that wasn't clear to the naked eye.

When she leaned closer Myrnin pushed her shoulder with his hand, keeping her where she was, a clear two feet away, "I am...coping."

"Coping? With what? Has something happened?" she asked suddenly alert that her boss could snap at any moment in the kind of mood he seemed to be in. While her hands slowly reached behind her to her bag, loaded with anti-vampire weapons, she tried to come up with all the scenerios where Myrnin could be in a rather difficult situation.

"The Rosser boy," Myrnin explained slowly, his eyes watching her movements intently, "He broke in and stole my blood supply, while I was visiting Amelie."

"Jason?" Claire repeated baffled. Why on Earth would Jason decide to take on Myrnin of all the vamps in Morganville? Then she internally rolled her eyes. Probably _because _it was Myrnin - the thrill would be enough for him to be satisfied. She then asked, "How did you know it was him?"

"I followed the scent he left behind and then threw him into the new silver cells that Amelie had made for...the uncivilised of our people," Myrnin growled, clearly uncomfortable about something, "He's basically in jail right now. But I'm stuck here waiting impatiently for my blood supply which I am in desperate need of...and with your being here it is becoming increasingly difficult to behave."

"Oh," was all Claire said before deciding that the best course of action now would be to leave. She grabbed her bag without turning her back to him and slung the strap over her shoulder, "I guess I'll leave then. I guess I'd only distract you."

He smiled despite the probable pain he was silently enduring and murmured, "Like you always do anyway."

"What?" Claire asked, she must have misheard him.

"It's nothing, little Claire, just thinking aloud," he said the smile leaving his face again.

Claire narrowed her eyes suspisciously at him. After he refused to say anymore she simply turned and walked to the portal with a huff, "Fine. Call me if you need me."

Claire stood at the portal and closed her eyes to concentrate on the living room of the Glass House. But just as she was picturing the sofa with the afghan slung leisurely over the back, her mobile rang loud and clear from her pocket.

Claire reopened her eyes again and dug out the device. She then flipped the screen, read the name and then turned to look at him in confusion.

After a moment, the mad man nodded to the mobile in her hand while he held his own up to his ear, "Are you going to answer it?"

Claire began to ask what the point was, but instead sighed and hit the answer key. She held the phone to her ear and said, "Hey, Myrnin. What's up?"

"Claire, I need you in the lab," he replied and she could hear a slight echo with his natural voice in front of her and the tinny sounding voice in her ear. Without waiting for her to reply he hung up.

Claire ended the call on her own phone and then raised an eyebrow at him. As she returned the phone to her pocket, she asked, "You called?"

"Hm, you're actually on time for once," he said with a small smirk. Claire rolled her eyes but couldn't help the smile that crept on to her lips as well.

"Slightly insulting, since I try my hardest to get here as quickly as I can for you, but what is it that you need me for?" she asked.

"Well, work. What else?" Myrnin pointed out as if it were obvious.

"But...but you said...about Jason and the blood," Claire reminded him confused.

"Yes, Yes, but see Claire I am very old and I can go for a long time without the need of blood consumption in relation to younger vampires," he explained to her and then added, "Although, I am still finding it difficult to restrain myself...you do smell ever so...enticing."

A shiver ran up her spine with a disturbing combination of fear and excitement.

But then she internally scolded herself for even thinking that that sentence sounded even the tinest bit flirtaticious. He was a vampire and to say she smelt enticing was so very wrong on so many levels. If Shane were to say that, her heart would flutter but that would be acceptable because he wasn't in the slightest thinking about eating her.

"Um, I think it would be best if I left you alone right now," Claire told him as she stepped back even closer to the portal but slowly so as not to trigger the beast within him.

He seemed to follow her subconsciously, stepping forward slowly as he replied with sadness written deep in to his face, "Please, don't leave. You always leave, I don't like it when you leave. I do enjoy our time together, Claire. Teaching you the things that I alone discovered, is both fun and interesting to hear your views and suggestions. I like the ideas that you put worth even if they do seem a little ridiculous at times."

"Still waiting for the part that makes me want to stay," she commented rolling her eyes again and crossing her arms over her chest.

He continued as if she didn't say anything, "When you leave me here in this lab which is both my home and my life's work, I feel empty and miserably lonely. Before I had my beautiful Ada to speak with, and though she became a little possessive and quite hostile towards the end, my dear Ada was still good company. Now I only have Frank and to be quite frank," he paused until he saw the smile that cracked on my face before he went on, "we don't see eye to eye and he has made it clear that he only wishes to see me when he needs feeding or when there is a problem in town. The point, my little Claire, is that without you here I am alone and I wish to have company while I am desperately craving something that is on its way but clearly not quick enough. I need that distraction that you promised."

Claire sighed and unfolded her arms. She tried to explain to him gently, "But don't you understand, Myrnin, that that is the reason why I should leave. If you need blood that badly, whether you can resist or not, why put yourself through the torment of having me set right in front of you. Its like a teasing a chocolate lover whose on a diet with a packet of oreos."

"What an amusing analogy," he commented smiling at the floor in thought.

"I promise I will be back as soon as you've got your delivery from the Blood Bank," she said drawing his attention again and she watched as his eyebrows arch upwards in disappointment, "Myrnin, I'm sorry to be so blunt about this but...you killed Ada and you loved her," she knew she had hurt him because he visably winced at the memories of what he had done to maybe his favourite assistant from the past, "I trust you, but I also value my life not to take the risk of you losing yourself for even a moment."

"I told you not to trust me," he muttered turning half away, "But that's not the point, I know. Fine. Go."

"I'm back as soon as you've eaten," she repeated and added, "I promise."

He nodded and waved his hand at her in a shooing motion. So she concentrated on the living room of the Glass house once again and as soon as the room materialised in front of her she jumped through and closed the portal instantly.

Once home she dumped her bag behind the sofa as she passed by and headed towards the stairs bumping in to Eve on the way down, "Oh, I thought you just left to go to work?"

"I did, but your brother decided to mess with Myrnin and he's hungry," she quickly explained hopping up the stairs and passing her best friend.

"Jason did what?" Eve cried following Claire to her room, clearly horrifed at the idea of her brother interfering with a vampire as powerful as Myrnin, "I swear, that boy has a death wish - or is it an undeath wish now? Whatever, I'm heading to the supermarket quickly after work, do you want anything?"

"Maybe a packet of oreos?" Claire asked with a hopeful smile.

Eve chuckled and nodded, "Sure, only if you share them with me though."

"Deal," Claire annouced smiling and held her hand out to shake.

Eve accepted and then pulled Claire in for a hug, "See you later, CB, love ya girl."

"Love you too, Eve," Claire replied with a smile.

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**Apologies for any spelling mistakes - please note that I British and so somethings will be spelt differently if you have American English in mind ;)**  
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**Remember to Read &amp; Review!**

**Lv Lv Hazzard ^_^ x x**


	2. Chapter 2

*****~ Would You Donate For Me? ~*****

*****~ Chapter 2 ~*****

It had been four days since Claire had been to the lab and Myrnin had called her a few times to either teach her things over the phone - which she found she couldn't quite concentrate while watching T.V., reading a book or listening to her housemates - or just to chat because he was in fact very lonely without her there.

Claire didn't much mind the calls, in fact she found it quite cute that he had chosen to call her out of the many others that he knew from all his years on this world. But there had been few times when he had interrupted things. Things like a dinner with the others which she had walked out to take the call and ended up eating alone when she returned or the other night when she was getting rather cosy with Shane. That had resulted in Shane storming off to his own bedroom because she couldn't ignore the lonely vampire reaching out and by the time the call had ended, Shane was already asleep.

She had apologised to her boyfriend today when she went to make herself some morning coffee and he also apologised for leaving so abruptly. So they were perfectly fine which was a relief to Claire who had over thought things the night before, just before drifting off to sleep.

The day had been a slow and boring Monday as far Claire was concerned. She wasn't needed at the university due to professors being ill and such, and everyone else had been busy, leaving her alone in the house - Eve was working at Common Grounds, Shane working at the barbeque shop and Michael performing a short afternoon gig at Common Grounds as well.

Although Claire enjoyed a little 'Me' time every now and then, today's 'Me' time was way too long. The first person home was Shane, since Eve was waiting for Michael to finish, and even he arrived at six PM. Roughly eight hours of 'Me' time eventually turns in to 'Urgh' time and Shane had come home to find her on the second disc of the second series of 'How I Met Your Mother'.

"Jesus, you must have been bored," he had commented and she sighed as he wrapped his arms around her before presenting the leftovers he had brought home today.

They had decided to eat without Eve and Michael as they still weren't home by half seven and Shane's stomach was already complaining from lack of any substance. Once finished and full, Claire had decided to take a shower before bed and when she returned to her room she found Shane spread out with his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling.

He had turned to smile at her as she entered the room. She was secretly thankful of the fact that she had already dressed in some pyjamas in the bathroom, so unfortunately for him he wouldn't have the pleasure of watching her undress and change tonight. It may have been silly to some because seeing her naked wouldn't be anything new for either of them but it was still a little embarrassing sometimes.

She had climbed in to bed with him, kissed him good night and then snuggled up to him before falling asleep.

Now it was around half three in the morning and her mobile was buzzing on her dresser. She groaned turning to look at the thing slowly crawling to the edge of the table with every vibration. She yawned as she rose to a sitting position stretching and Shane grumbled beside her, being roused from his sleep also.

"What time is it?" he asked with a groggy voice.

Claire glanced at the digital alarm clock on bedside table as she got up to go retrieve her mobile phone that was just about to jump off of the side of the dresser, "It's 3:42."

He groaned as if the notion of being woken this early was physically painful. He turned on to his side facing away from her and the offending light that shone out from her phone. He growled, "That better not be who I think it is."

Claire sighed and made her way to the door to take the call downstairs, "I'll be right back."

"Tell him you're busy," Shane grumbled, "Tell him you're with your boyfriend."

Claire rolled her eyes as she hit the answer key and closed the bedroom door behind her. She began making her way downstairs as she answered, "Do you realise what time it is?"

"It's 3:44 AM, my dear, now do you realise what day it is?" Myrnin countered, missing the point behind Claire question.

She ignored his question and instead continued with her intended complaint as she made her way to the kitchen, "This may be the happy hour for you vampires when you decide to go out and have a good old time under the rays of the moon and such, but I'm a girl - a human girl - and I need my sleep to function properly during the day, Myrnin!"

"Then why are you not asleep right now?" Myrnin asked making Claire fume with anger, "Maybe this is the reason why you were so slow at grasping the basics of alchemy, my dear. Now, do you know what day it is?"

She growled angrily, "Tuesday morning."

"And I still haven't had any delivery, Claire, I've gone a week without feeding," he sounded bored and then he added with his voice lifting a little, "I hope you're proud of me. I feel ever so uncomfortable. I've decided to lock myself away in here for the time being but you know very well that even if I were to literally lock myself away with iron bars that I would still escape when I became too hungry to care anymore."

Claire remembered when she first started working for Myrnin. He would sometimes sit in a cage because he was afraid that his illness would cause him to temporarily forget and end up killing her. She shivered at the scary memories of how terrifying he could be sometimes.

She was still mad at him for waking her though, "What do you want? A medal?"

"What? No, what a ridiculous idea! See, if you were sleeping the right amount of hours that you need you wouldn't come out with such nonsense," he commented taking her seriously again.

"Myrnin, what do you want?" Claire growled in a warning tone.

"Well, I've explained to you the problem, I need blood and the Blood Bank keep telling me the same thing. They'll get to me as soon as they can but they have other priorities!" he huffed as if he was offended, "After everything I've achieved and done for this god forsaken town and that's how they treat me. On the bottom of a waiting list it seems."

Claire sighed and shook her head trying to rid herself of all the irrelevant details he was telling her. She asked, "Are you asking me to talk to them?"

"If they're not listening to me, they're hardly going to listen to you, child," Myrnin scoffed on the other end of the phone and Claire glared daggers at the fridge as if it was most disgusting thing she had ever seen and she hated it with all her being.

"Then tell me what you want me to do!" she almost screamed in to the phone, the only thing stopping her being her sleeping housemates.

"You wouldn't donate for me, would you?" he asked very quietly, almost as if he were nervous of her answer.

The glare lifted off of her face as the anger and irritation was completely replaced with an odd sense of nervousness and a completely understandable fear. There was a pause before she could conjure up a response for him, "Um, well, I guess so. If you're really that hungry."

"Claire, I understand that you are not a fan of vampires but it is something that we need to survive," Myrnin pointed out to her, "I apologise for us disgusting you but I wouldn't ask if I wasn't desperate."

"Of course, I get that," Claire mumbled nodding and closing her eyes with a hand on her head. After a moment's thought she sighed heavily and told him, "I'll go to the Blood Bank tomorrow and then head to the lab shortly after. Okay?"

"Oh thank you, my dear Claire," he cried in to the phone and she could just hear the smile on his face, "You're such a lovely little thing. Now go to bed, I don't want you tripping over and spilling my blood because you haven't had enough sleep to coordinate your steps properly."

The glared returned to her face and Claire growled again, "I think you mean _my _blood that I'm donating to you for nothing!"

"I wouldn't call my darker side nothing, my little Claire," he told her, "and I doubt that you would be any different," with that he simply said, "Good night, my dear," and hung up.

Claire lowered the phone from her ear and stared at the now blank screen after she had hit the end key. She sighed deeply, she had just agreed to donate her blood for a crazy old vampire. But then when she thought about it, that crazy old vampire was actually a really close friend of hers now after all the months that they had worked together. Even if he could be so remarkably insensitive and oblivious to sarcasm at times, he could still be endearing and oddly sweet at others and she loved that about the madman.

As she made her way back to bed for at least another four hours sleep - if she could slip back in to unconsciousness quickly - she worried that if he tasted her he might want more but then again, its not like he's never drank her blood before. He once did bite her in a weak moment but since has never done so. So with that horrible memory and the events afterwards in mind - the point being that he had never come close to biting her since - she decided that her concerns were mere paranoia and that it wouldn't come to that.

She climbed back in to bed with her boyfriend who was fast asleep again and return to sleep herself about twenty minutes later.

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**Apologies for any spelling mistakes - please note that I British and so somethings will be spelt differently if you have American English in mind ;)**  
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**Remember to Read &amp; Review!**

**Lv Lv Hazzard ^_^ x x**


	3. Chapter 3

*****~ Would You Donate For Me? ~*****

*****~ Chapter 3 ~*****

On her way to the Blood Bank about ten in the morning, Claire felt slightly guilty. She had told Eve, Michael and Shane that she was just popping out to the library and then heading to college to do some studying, but with the way Michael narrowed his eyes for a moment she was sure that he hadn't missed the heartbeat telltale signs of a little white lie. He hadn't said anything though to her relief, just turned back to the paper that he was reading.

She hadn't told them because Shane would want to come with her to protect her but then he would also want to know why she wanted to donate some of her blood all of a sudden. Then, of course, once he learnt that it was intended for Myrnin he wouldn't be too pleased and he might even refuse to let her go.

The guilt was soon acompanied by a heavy sense of nervousness as she walked up the pathway to the clinic and in to the reception area.

Claire arrived at the desk and the woman that sat there, human and clearly bored out of her mind not enjoying her job in the slightest, raised her eyebrows at Claire and simply said, "Yes?"

Charming, Claire thought and explained, "I'd like to donate some blood to a friend in need."

"Is this friend in need a vampire?" the lady asked leaning on her elbow and fiddling with a pen in the other hand. When Claire didn't answer the woman exhaled a quick but nasty laugh and shook her head, "Then they'll have to come here and make an order themselves. If you donate, that blood is sent to the bank not to specific people, we have a schedule, where no one is allowed to jump the que. Either tell her no, or tell her to come and collect it herself."

Claire was going to correct the woman on mistaking her vampire friend's gender but then that might make it seem that she was intimate with him considering that she was giving up some blood for him. Other humans views on interspecies relationships (vampire and human) wasn't too friendly in Morganville, she had heard the awful names they called Eve both behind her back and to her face. Her bestfriend truly was the strongest person she knew.

Anyway, what was she to do now. Myrnin was expecting her soon with a pint or two of blood to give him. How could she turn up and tell him he would have to wait until the delievery finally arrived? She couldn't - he would scream - cry maybe. If only she had the blood in hand to give him.

Then a thought struck her and although it terrified her, the thought of Myrnin turning up at the house in crazed state or hearing through Amelie or Hannah that someone had fallen victim to a hungry crazy Myrnin was even more horrific.

Without saying goodbye to the unhelpful, rude receptionist - where was the polite one today? - Claire turned and left deciding that she was still going to the lab with or without the blood to give him.

So used to using the portal systems around town, Claire was finding the long trek to Grandma Day's road tedious but she persevered and eventually wound up at the entrance to the alleyway where the shack leading in to Myrnin leir lay at the other end. All the doubts and worries that had been running around her head on the way - and almost making her turn back a few times - silenced to absolutely nothing from the nerves and fear that consumed her whole-heartedly now.

She felt numb as she made her way to the shack, inside and the down the stairs in to the messy lab. She looked around scared that he might jump out at her and that's exactly what he did. Come round the corner that she wasn't facing he touched her shoulder making her scream and then clutched her shirt just above her heart, "Please, Myrnin, for goodness sake."

Then she saw the blackness of his eyes and now the red that was slowly forming in them. He held his hand out to her, " May I please have your gift, my dear, I am struggling to leave you alone right now."

Claire took a deep breath before explaining to him, "I went to the donate the blood today but they said that they wouldn't give it to you or let me take it to give to you. They said it would be taken to the bank and that you would have to wait your turn. So I left and came straight here."

Myrnin lowered his hand slowly and then took three long steps away from her, "I think that you should probably leave then. I could have handled Thursday...but today is too much. I want you far too much."

"I understand that you still need blood and I don't like the way you are when you're unstable - it's scary," Claire told him honestly, averting her gaze from his red and intense wide-eyed staring to something bubbling away in the corner. She paused to gather courage and then confessed still not looking at him directly, "But...I'm still willing to donate some of my blood to you."

Myrnin was not a stupid man, he knew what she was implying and it shocked him, seeing as how disgusted and betrayed she felt by him the first time he had done so.

He took a slow, cautious step forward, with narrowed eyes he asked, "You would allow me to bite you?"

Claire let her eyes trail back to his and she felt so small and scared in that moment that she could only answer with a simple, "Yes."

He slowly made his way to her so as not to scare her with his eagerness and thirst, "I hope you realise that if I wasn't so desperate as I am, I would ask you if you were entirely sure and I would understand if you weren't and I would let you go home untouched. But I hope you can understand that I am in position today to refuse or reconsider an offer such as this."

"I know," Claire replied quietly and forced her head to nod and it felt almost robotic as it jerked back and forth. Myrnin was in front of her now, staring down at her with a hand on her cheek. She looked up at him and whispered, as her heart hammered away in her chest at incredible rate which would have normally amused him enough to make a comment about it, "Just so you know, I'm sure. Just...just remember to stop, okay?"

The vampire made the promise with a kiss to her forehead before he put one arm around her waist to hold her against him and his other hand holding her head gently, threading his finger through her hair. He then craned his neck to position his lips just hovering around the crook of her own neck and Claire shivered at the feel of his cold breath on her warm skin.

Somehow, Myrnin still had the strength to resist a moment longer to whisper softly in to her ear, "You're trembling, my little Claire. Shh, its okay. I won't hurt you. Relax. It will be over within minutes."

She wasn't sure whether to be disturbed or excited by the fact that she felt him smile against her skin while he spoke and could even hear the corners of his mouth lift in the tone of voice he used. But before she could decide on that matter, she felt the cold sharp points of his fangs touch her skin and then sink in, ripping her open.

She winced at the tiny pain that shot through her, not like the bites she had experienced before this pain was so much weaker in comparison - thankfully - it was like an annoying papercut. It stung a little but it would heal...hopefully.

Damn she didn't think of that. How was she supposed to hide this from the others. Shane would surely go mad once he saw this. He would demand that she tell him who it was that bit her and when she refused and just told him to let it go and leave it be, he would know that it was Myrnin. He would know because he was the only vampire besides Michael that she would defend and Michael wouldn't dare touch Claire in any such way. He viewed her like a little sister and they all knew that. The only time that had been a little sceptial was when Naomi had been messing with everyone's head and causing chaos from behind the scenes.

Oh well, she guessed she would just have to work out how to stop Shane from staking Myrnin while she was at college or elsewhere, before he noticed the puncture wounds on her neck.

Her thoughts were growing less and less frequent and in the end she couldn't think straight. All she could think about was the feeling of Myrnin's arms holding her against him and his mouth on her neck and how intimate and crazy this moment felt. She wanted to tell him to stop now, he had drained enough blood from her but then she didn't want to lose this comfortable contact with him while he was holding her.

Whether he would have stopped himself or drained her completely she didn't know all she heard was Frank's voice snapping from every speaker in the room, "I think you've sucked up all you need from my boy's girl, leech."

Soon after, Myrnin fangs retracted from her neck and she blacked out from excessive blood loss.

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**Apologies for any spelling mistakes - please note that I British and so somethings will be spelt differently if you have American English in mind ;)**  
****

**Remember to Read &amp; Review!**

**Lv Lv Hazzard ^_^ x x**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey, okay so I added another chapter because some of you wanted to know what happened afterwards. I may add more after this if people are interested, I may not if no one's too keen and just leave it on a bit of a cliff hanger again. Just be prepared to wait a while if you are interested and please tell me in a review otherwise I won't know.**

**So I've been finding it difficult to write lately but I've finally found a new job for Christmas (thank goodness) and also I've started going karaoke on a Friday night when I'm not working (yeah, I'm actually leaving the house again on a regular basis - go me!). So maybe I'll be able to get back in to the swing of things.**

**Anyway, that's just my own personal update - I add these to some stories - think I do this for myself more than anyone else. I don't own a diary so - public announcements it is! whoop! Whoop!**

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***~ Would You Donate For Me? ~***

***~ Chapter 4 ~***

Slowly, slowly her senses came back to her and she opened her eyes to see the low ceiling of the lab above her. What was she doing here? Why was she asleep? She rose up to sitting slowly and groaned as an ache ran through her neck and spine. She brought a hand up to cup the dull pain beneath her jaw and just before she lost her strength, she remembered what had happened.

Flashing images of Myrnin's fangs, of his red eyes, his closeness, the feeling of his arms around her and his fangs rooted in to her neck flooded her mind as she began to fall back. Hands caught her before her head could hit the lab bench she was laying on.

"Careful now," she looked up at him and he was smiling warmly down at her as he gently placed her head down on the table again, "You need to rest a little more. Are you comfortable enough? I mean, I'm not sure the bench is all that 'cushiony'. Ah! I know, why don't you lay in my bed for now."

He scooped her up in his arms without waiting for her response and she felt her stomach flip uncomfortably from the sudden motion. After a moment Claire, cleared her throat and whispered - it was all she could manage at the moment, "How much blood did you take?"

He didn't answer, he just continued in to his room, hidden in the corner of the lab and then placed her gently down on his bed. He then reached over and grabbed the quilt covers and tucked her in, "I'll go and get you a can of cola and some chocolate, that should make you feel better. Sugar! You need sugar."

He turned to leave but she grabbed his wrist before he could speed away vampire style. He didn't look at her, "Myrnin."

He sighed and still didn't turn towards her, "I don't know...too much."

She let go of his wrist, she really didn't have a lot of energy at the moment. After a few minutes of silence and avoided eye-contact, Claire cleared her throat and quietly requested, "Can I have that drink now, please?"

"Oh, of course," Myrnin cried hurrying out of the room.

He wasn't gone for long by the time he was back she had slowly managed to sit herself up against the head board and brings her legs up to her chest. She pressed her forehead against her knees and unexpectedly inhaled the smell that clung to the sheets that were currently wrapped around her legs. She closed her eyes as he returned to the room with a can and a bar of chocolate in hand, just trying to work out what the scent was. Of course, it was Myrnin but what did it remind her of? Of course she had been in here before.

"Here we are, my dear," he said and there was a shuffle and a scrapping of wood on wood.

She opened her eyes again and lifted her head to find him smiling at her, sat in a chair beside the bed. He held out the can to her, she accepted it lazily and mumbled, "You could have just sat on the edge of the bed, there's plenty of room and its yours after all."

"Nonsense, it would be ungentlemanly of me," he smiled at her and watched her as she opened the can and took a few sips. He suddenly asked sounding uncertain and she could see he was having trouble keeping the smile on his face, "Claire, are we...do you...ah?"

A tinny voice echoed from the radio in the corner then, "He's asking if you hate him now," Myrnin snatched the plug out of the wall and hissed at the machine Frank had used to communicate.

"I don't hate you," the girl murmured behind her can, she didn't look at him though.

"Ah, no, I don't mean 'hate' as such," he babbled nervously, "Claire, I don't...I don't want you to...to be afraid of me."

Claire didn't reply nor meet his eyes. She just hugged her legs with one arm and held her can to her lips with the other hand, taking small sips here and there. When the silence dragged on, Myrnin leaned forward drawing her eyes to him. He watched as they dilated but didn't widen in horror, "Please don't fear me, little Claire. You know I would never intentionally harm you."

"You don't scare me. Not really," Claire mumbled looking down at the can in her hand. She sighed and leaned back stretching her legs out under the covers, "I'm just in shock, I guess. Let me rest, like you said, and I'll be fine. Back to my normal self. Which reminds me," she gave him a weak smile then, "You seem your crazy normal self again. That's good. The red and black eyes are gone, your eyes look their normal nice colour again."

"Nice colour?" he repeated smiling at her with his head tilting as he sat back again feeling more relaxed and at ease.

She chuckled weakly and waved her hand, "Don't think too much in to that. I must be woozy too," she shook her head and added seriously still smiling, "I just mean that you look like my friend again...in the sense that you don't look like you physically wanna kill me and eat me."

He laughed nervously not knowing how else he was supposed to react to that.

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By the time she went home, it was late and she had god knows how many missed calls from her housemates. She was actually a little miffed that Myrnin had turned her phone off to be honest, she was in for it the moment she stepped foot inside the house - she just knew it.

Claire had decided to use the portal home and had also borrowed a thin, plain scarf from Myrnin to try and hide the evidence.

The living room materialised in front of her and she stepped through nervously. No one was in there but there were murmurs and voices coming from the kitchen. So she rushed in the opposite direction toward the stairs and was about to hurry up when she bumped in to Michael who was on the way down.

"And where the hell have you been?" he asked rather loudly and she could see the fatherly anger in his eyes.

"Um," she said nervously and took a step back. She was aware that 'I lost track of time' was never going to work and since she still looked and felt terribly weak, she decided to play on it. She cleared her throat and tried as confidently as she could manage, "Look, I've been getting worse all day and I think I've caught some kind of cold. I was walking around and the heat kind of got to me, I guess, and I blacked out. I woke up a little while ago but I still feel awful. I'm sorry that I missed all your calls but I just wanna go to bed right now."

"Claire!" she turned to see a rather dishevelled Eve rushing toward her with out stretched arms with Shane following close behind, also looking a little out of sorts. His expression was a mixture of relief and annoyance, similar to Michael's. So clearly it was Shane and Eve in the kitchen talking to each other.

Eve's arms flew around Claire and pulled her hard. On any other day she would have been fine, on this day she was weak and lost her balance.

"Wow," everyone reacted, Michael grabbing Claire's left side while Eve latched on and held up her right side. Shane stood in front of her and held his hands out in case she fell forward. He then placed a hand on her forehead, testing for a fever maybe.

Michael scoffed as he pull her up and put his arms around her waist holding her up, "Jesus, Claire, this seems worse than a cold. You can barely hold yourself up."

"Oh, CB, are you sick?" Eve cried and placed a hand on Claire's cheek, causing Shane to retract his own, and gently pulled her best friend's face round, "To be honest, sweetie, you do look a bit crap."

"Thanks," Claire smiled despite the situation. She then pulled herself up and tried to pull away from the support of her friends, "Look, guys, I'm sorry I made you all worry but I'm fine really and I'm going to bed to try and sleep this off. I'll make up for it with dinner or something."

"Not while you're sick," Michael commented leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and an eyebrow arched, as she began to ascend the stairs.

"Are you sure you're okay, hun?" Eve asked with full concern etched into her features.

Claire wanted to tell her everything but knew it would only cause trouble so she just nodded and forced a smile, then continued on her way to her bedroom.

Once inside she closed the door behind her and she sighed heavily. She dumped her backpack and crossed the room to her dresser. Staring at herself in the mirror, Claire silently pulled off the scarf and bit her lip as she saw the marks. She touched them lightly with her fingertips and shivered remembering the sharp pain that shot through her as his fangs sank in.

She almost jumped through the roof when there was a knock at the door. It felt like her heart was going a mile a minute as she looked around the room quickly for an excuse, "Don't come in yet, I'm, er," her eyes then landed on a pair of loose fitting shorts and her dressing gown slung over the bed, "I'm changing!"

There came a muffled laugh, "So?" it was Shane and the door handle began to turn.

"Seriously, wait!" the handle clicked but did not open. The girl cursed herself for sounding so alarmed, she hoped he didn't think anything of it.

Claire quickly assembled everything and pulled up the collar of her dressing gown high enough to conceal the scars that she so didn't want her boyfriend to see. Oh dear god no! When she was happy enough she went to the door and opened it a little.

Shane was stood against the opposite wall with his arms crossed, looking a little like Michael about five minutes ago but by the looks of it Michael wasn't at the bottom of the stairs anymore. That didn't mean he wasn't listening though.

"Hey," she greeted him with a weak smile. He gave her a confused expectant look, which made Claire nervous, "what?"

"You disappear for hours, don't call and then hurry off to bed with an I.O.U," he explained making Claire's stomach twist with guilt. She averted her gaze feeling terrible. He sighed, "Claire, you have no idea how worried I was tonight. We all were and then you're just gonna act like its nothing? Then I just wanted to come and see how you were and you snap at me for something you're not usually bothered about."

"You know I still find it a little embarrassing changing in front of you," Claire mumbled sounding, even to herself, a little pathetic.

Shane gave her an unimpressed expression, "That's not the point, Claire. What happened?"

"What do you mean?" she asked looking up at him again with worry in her voice. She cleared her throat to try and get rid of it.

"What do I _mean_? Claire, we called you a dozen times or so! What happened?" he almost yelled.

Claire shrank a little bit behind her door, almost afraid and replied, "I already told Michael, I blacked out earlier. I've been ill all day. The sun got to me, I guess."

"Where did you black out? The library? College? The cafe? The street?" Shane asked.

"Yes," she mumbled.

"No, Claire, which one!" he cried out in annoyance, "Look, I'm not trying to upset you or make you think that I'm angry or anything. I'm just disappointed that you couldn't look after yourself and have the ability to realise when enough is enough, and even though you didn't, I just wanna know that you were in safe hands when you fainted."

Claire closed her eyes and inhaled a shaky breath to calm herself. She then opened her eyes and lied through her teeth, "I fainted in the cafe on campus and one of my lecturers saw me and escorted me to the infirmary. I was there for a while just taking a break. When I felt well enough to go home, I did."

"But your mobile was switched off," he commented.

She shrugged averting her eyes again, "I was in the library beforehand and forgot to turn it back on afterwards."

Shane looked at her with suspicion but seemed to accept for now with a final comment, "Alright, just put it on silent instead next time, okay? You're a dump-ass for turning it off at all in Morganville, thought you would know better," he smirked at her and she gave him a weak smile back. He leaned forward and kissed her on the cheek, "I would love to keep you company tonight but I'd rather not catch a cold and have to miss work - don't wanna get fired as soon as I've landed a job, to be honest."

He laughed and Claire did too, she felt a little relieved as well.

"If you miss me though, I wouldn't object to you joining me," he winked at her and then kissed her again on top of her head, "Goodnight, Claire."

"Night, Shane," she replied and watched him walk down the hallway and in to his room. When she heard his bedroom door click shut, she let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding.

Claire was about to shut her door when she noticed the bottom of the stairs wasn't empty anymore and a lump formed in her throat. Michael was back with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed at her in disbelief. They stared at each other until he walked away in to the living room after being called by Eve.

She could tell that he didn't believe her. She prayed to god that he didn't say anything.

* * *

**Apologies for any spelling mistakes - please note that I British and so somethings will be spelt differently if you have American English in mind ;)**

**Remember to Read &amp; Review!**

**Lv Lv Hazzard ^_^ x x**


	5. Chapter 5

**So I'm not entirely sure this chapter makes much sense, so would appreciate it if people could let me know. If that is the case I'll rewrite it otherwise 'Phew!' its just my tired mind thinking too hard about things, I guess. Anyway, as per usual - thank you very much for the reviews - I am grateful for each any every one and I'm glad people are enjoying the story. I am afraid Claire maybe a little OOC for this chapter but again - you guys can let me know if that is the case :)**

* * *

***~ Would You Donate For Me? ~***

***~ Chapter 5 ~***

Claire hadn't been able to get a wink of sleep all night; the fact that Michael clearly didn't believe her set her on edge. What if he told Shane? What if he mentioned something to Eve? It would all eventually lead to them finding out and then it would be bad not only on her but on Myrnin and on them too because they would feel like she didn't trust them. That wasn't the case, she just knew that they wouldn't have let her help her friend.

By the time breakfast had rolled around Claire was sat at the kitchen island counter avoiding any eye contact with her blond house mate. She didn't even gaze in his direction but she could still feel his eyes piercing in to her trying to work out what she was hiding. She just hoped that the foundation and concealer she had used on her neck hid the scar well enough, along with the borrowed scarf and the help of her hair which was getting longer and longer lately.

"Well, since you guys are all ready I'm heading up to the shower," Shane grumbled. He had only just woken up. He kissed Claire on top of the head, "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good," she replied smiling up at him.

"Good, maybe you should take a day off," Shane shrugged giving her a suggestive gaze. Everyone would be out today since Eve was working at Common Grounds and Michael had a meeting with Amelie for god knows what. Vampire confidentiality apparently. Anyway, the point is that they would be alone and although the thought was tempting she knew it would be a bad idea, when the scar was still no where near healed yet.

She looked down at her coffee mug, a shy smile playing at her lips, "I would but I promised Myrnin that I would be there early today. I can't just not turn up."

Shane sighed heavily and began to head out, "Right, wouldn't wanna upset crackula. Alright, but if you feel at all ill, home please."

Claire nodded and smiled as he left the room. They heard his heavy footsteps as he hopped up each step to the bathroom on the second floor. By then Eve had finished frying herself some bacon and had made herself a bacon sandwich. She sat down beside Claire.

"Eve, honey," Michael began, holding up a newspaper, "Were you working on the campus yesterday?"

"I told you that I was," she answered not knowing why he had asked her. The hair on the back of Claire's neck however stood on end.

"Did anything happen? Any chaos? Maybe kids fighting or fainting?" he asked shrugging and not peering up from the newspaper.

"Why?" Eve narrowed her eyes at him confused.

He dropped the newspaper on to the counter top and looked over at her with a reassuring smile, "Just something I heard. Wouldn't want that near our little Claire would we?" Claire finally looked at him for the first time that morning and the smile he threw her was too kind. She stopped breathing, it almost froze her heart.

"Oh, well nothing that I noticed at all. Nothing yesterday, though a few weeks ago there was this real dick. You know one of those jocks that thinks he's still in junior high. Honestly, no manners and then picking on the one guy that's all alone. Though even _he_ had no manners even though I was trying to help the guy," Eve babbled on and on, "I mean honestly, what is wrong with kids nowadays? You throw 'em a bone and they throw it back at you full force. Talk about ungrateful. Wish I never tried to help the little twerp."

"Ah, so no fainting incidents?" Michael asked again.

"Or fighting? No, nothing yesterday," Eve confirmed and then before taking a bite from her sandwich asked, "Who did you hear that from?"

"Oh just some kids who were at Common Grounds last night while I was tuning the guitar," Michael told her and shrugged as if it was nothing. He then smiled over at Claire again, "At least nothing happened yesterday, right Claire? Everything's okay, isn't it?"

She realised he was asking her a question, giving her a chance to confess but also giving her the option to dismiss it altogether at the same time. She decided on the latter. She swallowed hard and forced out a tiny, "Yeah."

The smile he wore remained but hardened as he pick up the paper and turned back to it.

Claire rose from her chair and hurriedly took her mug to the sink. She poured the last of it down the drain and left it on the side.

"Are you leaving already, Claire Bear?" Eve asked with her eyebrows turned upward.

"Yeah, I did promise, I wouldn't be late," Claire muttered as she made her way to the door, "I'll be sure to take it easy though, promise."

"Make sure you do!" Eve called out as Claire rushed in to the living room. She grabbed her bag and stood in front of the portal. She closed her eyes and when she opened them again the lab was in view but then Michael was standing beside it, with his arms folded.

She jumped with a gasp and his eyebrow quirked up, he wasn't smiling anymore, "What's going on?"

"Nothing!" Claire replied too quickly.

"You sure?" he asked standing up straight. She just nodded. He lifted his head as if to see from another angle. Claire averted her eyes to the floor. Michael let his arms fall to his side and his voice softened, "Claire, you know you can talk to me right? If anything's happened to you, you can tell me."

She nodded, "I know," she looked up at him and lied, "But nothing happened. I was ill yesterday, that's all."

"Not at the campus though, right?" his voice hardened again as it seemed she wasn't going to give in just yet.

Claire just stared at him for a while until she couldn't come up with a good enough response. She moved to walk past him in to the lab and she thought he would try to stop her but he didn't. He let her leave the house and when she turned back to see if he was stood there watching her walk in to the lab, the Glass house living room was gone.

* * *

The girl collapsed in to the nearest lab stool and threw the top half of her body on to the lab bench just to concentrate on her breathing. Her heart was hammering and she just felt an immense amount of guilt for not telling her house mates and best friends.

Claire was unsure how long she had had her head down on the lab bench with her arms over the top like a shield, just focusing on slowing down her breathing and calming herself. She could have easily been there an hour or just three minutes. Either way, there was suddenly a hand on her back gently running over her shoulders in a soothing motion.

"My dear, what's wrong?" his voice was quiet so as not to startle her.

She just shook her head and stayed in her curled up position on the lab stool.

Myrnin tried again, "Claire, you're not working today and yet here you are. Tell me what I can do to help?"

She lifted her head up suddenly then and turned her face to him and almost yelled, sharply pointing a finger to her neck, "Can you heal this already or am I stuck with it?"

Myrnin's eyes flickered to her neck and then trailed over the skin where he bit her the time before. He couldn't see it through her jumper but he knew it was there; tiny marks that still hadn't healed and probably never would. He looked back in to her scared, teary eyes. Her tone had sounded angry but her expression gave away her panic.

"If you were a vampire it would heal quicker and your skin would knit together perfectly leaving no trace," he told her and watched as her eyes narrowed at him and she turned away, rejecting the idea. He cleared his throat, "But since that isn't an option you are in favour of, I could always heal it with my own blood?"

Claire didn't move nor respond to that at first. She didn't quite know what he meant. After a moment's contemplation she lifted her face to his, her eyes no longer angry, more worried.

"Which involves what exactly?" she asked.

"I would have to bite you again," he explained and quickly added before she could completely shut down the idea, "but only to reopen the wound. I'm not going to drink from you this time. I will bite you and, let's say for a lack of better words, feed my blood in to the opening and it should heal like any vampire would if you were to cut _us_."

Claire subconsciously brought a hand to her neck averting her eyes nervously to the lab bench in front of her, thinking about his fangs sinking in to her again. Here eyes snapped back to his though, as his cold hand gently cupped over hers, enclosed his long fingers around it and carefully guided it away from her bite marks. Myrnin took her other hand as well and stepped back, signalling for her to follow him - to which she did.

Claire rose from the lab stool and gingerly followed her boss and friend across the lab to the other side where his arm chair was placed in the corner. Myrnin slid backwards in to a perched position and still pulled gently on her hands. But she stopped in front of him.

"Claire, it would be more comfortable for both of us if you would sit with me," he commented, hinting that she take a seat. But as she looked around she could only see the few lab stool across the room, where they just were. Myrnin realised this and rolled his eyes as he tugged her down a little more forcefully this time. She landed on his lap with a yelp, "My lap is good enough for now, my dear. You can move after if the idea is so distasteful to you."

Her heart was hammering in her chest and again she knew he could hear it. She tried to keep the shivers and nervous breathlessness out of her voice as she asked, "Is this really necessary, Myrnin?"

"You want the bite healed with no trace, am I right?" he asked her wrapping one of his arms around her, while the other hand pulled down the edge of the scarf, exposing the patch of uneven skin. His fingers brushed softly over it and she was too stunned to move for a split second, a shiver running through her whole being.

She then managed a sharp nod and shut her eyes tightly.

"Claire, look at me," Myrnin's voice was soft and calm, yet still held a level of authority. She opened her eyes and did as she was told. It hurt him to see the fear that she had etched in to her features right now. He needed her to understand that she need not fear him, "I would never hurt you. Not intentionally. I'm sorry I did this to you...again. But I don't want you to be frightened of me."

"I know. I'm not," she replied with a shaky voice, "Not really."

"Claire, you're trembling," Myrnin pointed out bluntly.

She sighed and it came out in stutters. She explained, "Look, I'm not scared of you, Myrnin. I'm worked up today because I'm having to hide this from my friends, and Michael already knows that I'm lying to them all. So, I'm upset and feeling terribly guilty...and now this. I'm not scared of you, okay? But the whole biting deal? Its not something I can just comfortably go along with and accept."

Myrnin just stared at her for a long moment, the gears in his head working trying to decipher what to do next. In the end he leaned toward her sitting up straight, and tightened his arm around her, "What can I do to make you feel more at ease?"

She leaned her body away from his closeness, "That doesn't help you know?"

"What doesn't?" he asked his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"We're already in a slightly intimate position," Claire pointed out, gesturing, "If you're trying to making me feel comfortable this is not the way to do it."

The mad man smirked. "Well, take comfort in fact that I was originally going to take you in to the bedroom to do this in case you fainted again," Myrnin confessed with a sly grin on his face, hearing her heart skip a beat.

"Myrnin!" she snapped.

He continued on as if she hadn't said anything, "then again, I'm giving blood today not taking it so you should be fine.

"Anyway, what is it about this position that makes you so uneasy? You're only sat on my lap for heaven's sake," Myrnin shrugged not understanding her problem with all of this, "If it were centuries ago, I would understand as touching was not as natural back then but you people embrace upon meeting and leaving and kiss cheeks and shake hands and dance rather closely. What's so wrong about this? Did you never sit on your mother's lap?"

"Well, yes, I did - when I was younger - but this is different," she explained rolling her eyes, "I'm not a little girl anymore and this is...it's not something people usually do with just anyone. To sit on someone's lap at my age would be rude...if not...if not suggestive."

Myrnin's eyes searched hers for a moment and then asked, "Suggestive how?"

Claire took in a breath wondering if the vampire already knew but wanted her to tell him anyway, "It would suggest that the two involved were...for lack of a better word, involved."

Myrnin smirked looking down momentarily at her balled up fists in her lap, finding it amusing that she had copied his earlier phrase. His eyes travelled back up her body to her face again and he calmly told her, "Just relax. Try not to think about the guilt of keeping secrets; we vampires have many secrets far more horrific and terrible than something as tiny as this," as much as the comment didn't mean all the much to Claire she still felt herself strangely calming down and her eyes seemed to close upon their on accord, "As for the two of us, think of it as nothing more than a friend helping a friend."

She winced as his fangs suddenly sank in to her skin without her realising that he had moved closer again and even closed the gap between them. His first arm was still wrapped around her body holding her against him while also holding one of her hands and she squeezed it tightly in response to the ache that was beginning to ebb. While his other hand had found her cheek and his thumbs rubbed calming circles into her skin until he retracted himself from her and fell back in to the cushions of his chair, pulling her with him.

They stayed in that position for a short while. Myrnin sat holding Claire against him stroking her hair and cheek while she remained still as if asleep.

_She'll be mad at me when it wears off._ Myrnin thought to himself as he kissed the top of her head. Hopefully she would think that that was also part of the illusion. Hopefully she wouldn't be too mad.

* * *

**Apologies for any spelling mistakes - please note that I British and so somethings will be spelt differently if you have American English in mind ;)**

**Remember to Read &amp; Review!**

**Lv Lv Hazzard ^_^ x x**


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